Serial Fraudster Samantha Cookes Has Been Arrested With Almost €60k Social Welfare Fraud

Saturday, 13 July 2024 10:50

By Hannah Kelly

The fraudster, who most recently went by the alias "Sadie Harris", has connections to Kildare, as she accused a family in Celbridge of owing her over €7,000 in unpaid wages

Serial fraudster Samantha Cookes has been charged with defrauding the Department of Social Protection of €59,094.

The 36-year-old is suspected to have collected 238 payments over a four-year period.

She was arrested this morning in Tralee, Co. Kerry.

According to local sources, she was arrested during a "sting" operation when she was on her to way to collect a welfare payment.

Ms Cookes had multiple personas, ranging from "Lucy Fitzwilliam" the speech therapist to "Rebecca Fitzgerald", the autism expert, and her most recent - "Sadie Harris" the au pair.

The fraudster has connections to Kildare, as she accused a family in Celbridge of owing her over €7,000 in unpaid wages.

The Celbridge family put up an ad and Ms Cookes - who was going by the name Sadie Harris - presented them with a fake story about her background.

Speaking on the Kildare Today show in March 2024, Sunday Independent reporter Mark Tighe told the show that she is always creating new identities.

"She went on to mindme.ie. She put herself across like a Mary Poppins figure with numerous qualifications in childcare, child psychology and paediatrics - just a wonderful nanny."

Ms Cookes is to appear via video-link again on Wednesday, July 17.

Legal aid was granted to solicitor Brendan Ahern after the court was told that she received a supplementary welfare allowance and had no assets.